nose

the part of the face or facial region in humans and certain animals that contains the nostrils and the organs of smell and functions as the usual passageway for air in respiration: in humans it is a prominence in the center of the face formed of bone and cartilage, serving also to modify or modulate the voice.

2.

this part as the organ of smell.

3.

the sense of smell:

fragrances appealing to the nose.

4.

anything regarded as resembling the nose of a person or animal, as a spout or nozzle.

5.

the prow of a ship.

6.

the forward end of an aircraft.

7.

the forward edge of the head of a golf club.

8.

a projecting part of anything:

the nose of a pair of pliers.

9.

a faculty of perceiving or detecting:

to have a nose for news.

10.

the human nose regarded as a symbol of meddling or prying:

Why can't he keep his nose out of my business?

11.

the length of a nose:

The horse won the race by a nose.

12.

the bouquet of an alcoholic drink, especially the distinctive aroma of a wine.

verb (used with object), nosed, nosing.

13.

to perceive by or as by the nose or the sense of smell:

a cheese that could be nosed at some distance.

14.

to approach the nose to, as in smelling or examining; sniff.

15.

to move or push forward with or as with the nose:

The dog nosed its pup back into the yard. The boat nosed its way toward shore.

16.

to touch or rub with the nose; nuzzle.

verb (used without object), nosed, nosing.

17.

to smell or sniff.

18.

to seek as if by smelling or scent:

The dogs nosed after their quarry.

19.

to move or push forward:

to nose into the wind.

20.

to meddle or pry (often followed by about, into, etc.):

They are always nosing about in other people's business.

Verb phrases

21.

nose out,

to defeat, especially by a narrow margin:

The other candidates had been nosed out in the final returns.

to learn or discover, especially by snooping or prying:

to nose out a secret.

Idioms

22.

count noses, to count the number of people in attendance:

Each time the troop left an exhibit the leader counted noses.

23.

cut off one's nose to spite one's face, to create a disadvantage to oneself through one's own spiteful action.

24.

follow one's nose,

to go forward in a straight course.

to guide oneself by instinct:

I found the house by following my nose.

25.

hold one's nose, to repress feelings of distaste, repulsion, or offense for something that one is obliged to do:

nose

n.

Old English nosu, from Proto-Germanic *nusus (cf. Old Norse nös, Old Frisian nose, Dutch neus, Old High German nasa, German Nase), from PIE *nas- "nose" (cf. Sanskrit nasa, Old Persian naham, Old Church Slavonic nasu, Lithuanian nosis, Latin nasus "nose"). Used of any prominent or projecting part from 1530s. (nose cone in the space rocket sense is from 1949). Used to indicate "something obvious" from 1590s. Meaning "odor, scent" is from 1894.

Kiv, It could bee no other then his owne manne, that had thrust his nose so farre out of ioynte. ["Barnabe Riche His Farewell to Military Profession," 1581]

Pay through the nose (1670s) seems to suggest "bleed." Many extended meanings are from the horse-racing sense of "length of a horse's nose," as a measure of distance between two finishers (1908). To turn up one's nose "show disdain" is from 1818 (earlier hold up one's nose, 1570s); similar notion in look down one's nose (1921). To say something is under (one's) nose "in plain view" is from 1540s.